First Baptist Church undecided how to use closed street

Despite still being in the planning process over the future of a half-block portion of Avenue B, the First Baptist Church of San Antonio, 515 McCullough Ave., is paying the city $147,757.64 to have the section closed anyway. City Council approved the transaction at its June 21 meeting.

Avenue B now is going to dead-end at McCullough on land that’s flanked by property the church already owns.

The church has said it plans some kind of new construction, but isn’t sure exactly what at this point.

“There’s no clear cut answer to that,” associate pastor Charlie Wedge said. “We are starting a planning process and this dovetails with the city’s River North project and their strategic plan that was adopted in 2009.”

Indeed, the River North Master Plan states it would more effective from an urban design perspective if Avenue B ended at McCullough than at Fourth Street:

Avenue B currently terminates unceremoniously at an apartment building on Fourth Street. In order to facilitate a unified Master Plan for the historic First Baptist Church, and to enable the development of a new Performing Arts Academy, it is proposed that Avenue B terminate at McCullough Avenue, one block north of Fourth. This will allow the reconfiguration of parcels south of McCullough, and will also allow the construction of a courtyard, plaza and/or church-related civic building that terminates Avenue B at a strong civic landmark.

Avenue B is envisioned as a residential corridor in the River North Master Plan.

Wedge said there is no firm timetable for planning or construction.

“We are under no pressure,” Wedge said.

He did say the church has not recently discussed with the Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation the possibility of a parking garage on church land to accommodate the under-construction Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

“There were some discussions/meetings a few years back,” Wedge said, “but I think the Tobin Center has gone in a different direction.”

The city will loose 11 parking meters, the lost revenue of which was factored into the fee.